United Kingdom National Horse Care Professionals

UKNHCP Directory

Welcome to the UKNHCP Horse Care Professionals directory. Here you will find a list of equine professionals dedicated to a whole horse health approach to horse welfare and care. These professionals are continually seeking the latest knowledge, through evidenced based research, to bring you the very best for your horse.

One thing all our associated professionals have is a thirst for knowledge, new ideas and networking with other equine professionals. If you would like to be considered for membership of our organisation and inclusion in our directory please apply here.

CP stands for a certified professional who has trained directly with the UKNHCP. CP Affiliate are those who have been voted by UKNHCP members to have skills and knowledge which allows membership of the UKNHCP.

Qualifications

JulieBailey

Qualifications

Status: CP

Coming from a horsey family I have owned and ridden ponies and horses from an early age. I learnt to ride on my older sisters pony, and got my first pony, Scooby Doo, when I was 6. I competed in all disciplines throughout my childhood, then trained through the BHS exam system, becoming a BHSAI. I taught riding and schooled horses both in a riding school, and freelance.

I have competed in affiliated dressage competitions winning at medium level. I hope to progress with my horse Trigger to advanced levels. These days I’m more interested in classical dressage, and I believe that dressage training should develop the horses well being, and that dressage success should not require physically or mentally harmful training methods.

I became involved in natural hoof care in 2002. My partner David Barrett and I were buying, backing and selling young horses. We were impressed with how sound and capable those horses were barefoot. I began researching trimming methods, being particularly impressed with the work of American trimmer and educator Pete Ramey, and decided to trim our horses myself. I started being asked to trim for friends and riding clients, and was soon trimming part time. I decided that I wanted to make a career of trimming, and completed the UKNHCP course in 2008. I now work in partnership with David (who is studying the Equine Sciences degree and hoof care certificate) caring for the hooves of over 200 horses and ponies.

Today we juggle riding and competing with work and study. Hoof care is a constantly evolving field. Veterinary researchers, trimmers and farriers are continually adding to our understanding of hoof form and function, and this is leading to improved ways of caring for our horses and their hooves. We believe it is important to keep up with new thinking and enjoy reading and researching books and the internet, attending lectures and taking courses on hoof care and wider aspects of horse care and training, both online and in the real world.

Initially building a successful barefoot trimming business, Performance Barefoot Ltd. which has now been renamed Forageplus Ltd, she then became interested in nutrition after watching horses hooves being affected by the diet and environment to which they were exposed. After completing Dr Eleanor Kellon’s course in equine nutrition and health she created Forageplus with her husband who holds a PhD in organic chemistry.

Sarah no longer takes new trimming clients but that doesn’t mean she can’t help you through Forageplus. Diet is the most crucial part of developing a successful barefoot horse so she now puts her efforts in to optimising horse health helping as many people as possible through advice surrounding diet and optimisation of horse health.

Forageplus uses scientific analysis of forage to create healthy nutrition for horses, creating truly balanced healthy nutrition to optimise the diet of all horses from laminitics through to top performance horses. This intelligent approach to nutrition has provided the illusive key to many of the problems she encountered with the health of barefoot horses over the years she was trimming. It has also provided a new direction for Performance Barefoot which now specialises in helping horses achieve optimum health through tailor made supplements, feed plans, forage focussed supplements and individual minerals, vitamins and amino acids.

When she has a moment Sarah rides her horses out drag hunting and has developed an interest in training horses for straightness. Performance Barefoot Ltd has evolved to become far more than just a ‘trimming business’,hence the name change to Forageplus, it now focusses on whole horse health, providing nutraceuticals and organising events with leading equine educators such as Dr Kerry Ridgeway, Manolo Mendez and Klaus Schoneich.

Sarah’s belief is that there is always more to learn and passing on that knowledge to all who own horses is crucial. Please contact her at http://www.forageplus.com if you would like to know more or speak to her.

FredEmmerig

Qualifications

My name is Fred Emmerig and I am living in the Netherlands. The nothern part called Friesland.
A professional barefoot trimmer since 2006 and since 2010 UKNHCP certified.

Because of the bad condition of my Fjord horse feet (has been shod since she was 3 years old) I became intrested in the natural feet of horses. The feet are better now in spite of her easy-to-become-laminatic issue in spring.

After all the years of trimming it is clear to me, that you have to watch the conditions the horse is living in.
Besides horses and ponys I trim donkeys.

I love the donkeys and with every donkey 5 euros are going to a donkey sanctuary in Spain.

The region I am trimming in is Friesland. And some places further away. But because of the travelingtime I am limiting the region to Friesland now. I have to take care of more than 200 horses.

MarkJohnson

Qualifications

Status:CP Registered farrier Dip WCF

Areas Covered: Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire

Mark runs fabulous equine hoof dissection courses in the UK and has been actively involved in helping change the law pertaining to equine welfare. This all started with the Fosse Park Horses. Join the campaign by liking the Help the Horses of Fosse Park Facebook page. For further information in how you can help change the law in the UK to protect horses visit the Hope for Horses website.

JohnLaurent

Qualifications

Status: CP

I came to ‘Barefoot’ through my remarkable mare Desejada. She came from Portugal with a tentative diagnosis of “Navicular syndrome”. There had been periods of soundness interspersed with acute lameness. Our skilled farrier did everything he could but the situation did not improve and we were beginning to think that maybe ‘Dr. Green’ was the answer; take off the shoes and turn her out for a few months to let her feet settle down before bringing her back into work.We researched on the internet and found the UKNHCP website.

The next step was to buy “Feet First” to learn how to successfully transition from shod to barefoot. We changed our horses diets then a couple of months later we contacted a UKNHCP trimmer. From the moment her shoes came off we knew it was right. It was so different to when we had tried to do the same for our cob and ease his arthritis. He hated it and was always sensitive but back then we knew nothing of the importance of correct diet & exercise for barefoot horses.

The periods of soundness quickly became longer, her recovery from soreness was much quicker but she was still subject to intermittent lameness. Following an MRI scan at Leahurst Equine Unit an unresolved fracture of the pedal bone was diagnosed, probably done as a foal and too deep to operate.

The vets at Leahurst gave a very guarded prognosis. It was felt that she would never be able to tolerate fast work and would always need painkillers. Now with her feet having been allowed to develop naturally, we are able to trot, canter & gallop without any spells of lameness. Barefoot hoofcare has proved itself to me beyond doubt.
We also took our other mare, Melody’s, shoes off and watched in amazement as the damage from previous laminitis began to correct. I was maintaining them between trims so decided to train with the UKNHCP.
My horses are living proof of the benefits of a barefoot regime and I am really enjoying using my training to help my customers.
In addition to trimming I am also a Reiki healer. This helps me to establish a calming atmosphere really appreciated by the horses. I will be happy to advise on diet, exercise and care for your horses’ feet. Please contact me on 07917773877 to discuss your horses’ needs.

Qualifications

RochellePreston

Qualifications

Status: CP

Areas covered: North Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, West Oxfordshire and East Herefordshire

I have worked with horses my entire working career (25 years), in many different fields including showing, stud work and dressage. I came to be interested in natural hoofcare when my own dressage horse went lame with navicular syndrome. I am so grateful for the people who God put across my path to show me that there are alternative ways of keeping performance horses on track.